OMG it's been over a month! O.O I've been having writers block with this story, and just overall slacking on this work. Anyway, I decided it was taking too long so you'll find out who the baddie is in this chapter. Tai's not really in here, he sorta comes and goes. The parents are in here a little bit, mostly Kari.

Disclaimer: I do not own Digimon or the characters, well, except for Ai, Taro, Yutaka, Ichi, Akira and Sala I guess.....(she's mentioned sometimes)

Ring, ring! Ring, ring! Ring, ring!

"Yeah, I'm coming, hold your horses...." T.K muttered as he slouched to the phone. "Takaishi residence, Takeru speaking."
"Get your wife on the phone. Now."
"Why, Sora?"
"Now!!!"
"Okay, okay, chill." T.K said. He took the phone to his bedroom where Kari was just sitting up, rubbing her eyes.
"Who is it?" she asked.
"Sora. She wants to talk to you. She sounded annoyed."

Kari took the phone. "Hello?" she said tiredly.
"I want Tai out of high school!"

"Huh?" Kari was surprised and she blinked sleep out of her eyes. "Why? He's only there to protect me and our kids. You and Matt were the first to ask him if he'd watch over your children."
"Yes but that was before I found out my daughter thinks she loves your brother!"
"Oh. That is a problem."
"That's all you can say!? It's a mega issue! He's like 36!"
"You can't really blame him besides didn't he promise Matt he wouldn't fall in love with Ai?"
"Yeah....I guess. But I don't want my daughter to get hurt when she finds out he's dead. It would break her heart."
"I don't think she'll find out." Kari said. "After everything's died down we'll have him "transfer" and that'll be that. Ai will never see him again."
"What if it never dies down!? There hasn't been any Digimon activity since Izzy picked up that signal!"
"Even Wizardmon said that there was a Digimon out there. And Tai says he gets the feeling that someone's watching him."
"He's dead! How can someone be watching him?"
"I don't know."
"Hm...well, can you keep an eye on Ai?"
"Yeah, of course."
"Thanks, Kari!"
"You are technically a sister of mine."
"Haha, yeah! Well, it's late. I'll talk to you later."
"Yeah, goodnight."
Kari hung up and tossed the phone onto her bedside table.

"What'd my sister-in-law want?"

"Ai reckons she's in love with Tai."
"Ah."
"Yeah."
"And?"
"Sora wanted Tai out of High School but I made her see reason."
"Thank goodness."
"It's a bit ironic, though."
"What is?"
"Ai. Our niece. Falling in love with Tai."
".....how is that ironic?"
"Oh, you didn't know? Never mind then."
"Nah, tell me."
"No! Let's just get some sleep."

"Huh...dad? What are you still doing up?" Akira asked. He had been heading to the kitchen to grab some food when he noticed Izzy sitting on the couch with his laptop.
"Oh, nothing. Just some research."
"'Bout what?"

"Something that happened a long time ago, don't worry."
"When you were in High School?"
Izzy glanced up. "How did you know?"
"Oh, uh, just intuition." Akira lied quickly to cover it up. Izzy shut his laptop.
"Akira, do you know something you shouldn't know?"
"Maybe." Akira replied sheepishly.
"Something to do with your school?"
"Sort of."
"A student there?"
"Yeah." Akira admitted.
"Tell me."
"Da-ad!" Akira whined. "I don't know much! Just that this kid there is selling drugs and stuff."
Akira had always been a good liar. Candy told him that he got the gene from her. That was how she wheedled an A+ on all her assignments – lying. Izzy sighed.
"Okay. Come on, son, we should get to sleep."

"Big problem," Akira said, slamming down a book on the cafeteria table the next day. The group were sitting outside like a few other groups.
"What?" Yutaka asked through a mouthful of ramen.
"My dad is onto me." Akira replied. "I accidentally let slip that I knew Tai's dead."
"You didn't." Ichi said.
"Well I sort of just implied it." Akira admitted. "I ended up lying."
"That's good." Ai said. "Speaking of Tai, where is he?"
"How much do you guys know about the Dark Ocean?"
Everyone jumped as Tai randomly appeared. He sat down next to Akira and leaned his elbows on the table.
"The Dark Ocean?" Ichi queried.
"Not much." Akira admitted.
"Only that it tried to get Sala." Taro said. "The Scubamon wanted her."
"Sala did mention something about an Undersea Master but we've never heard anything more about him." Ai said. "What do you know about the Dark Ocean?"
"Why'd it try to get Sala?" Tai asked.

"Because she's the Child of Light." Yutaka said. "It's just a darkness thing."
Of course, Sala is Kari's kid....that means she and Taro inherited the Crests of Hope and Light. Does that mean Akira got Knowledge and Ichi got Sincerity, as well as Yutaka and Ai receiving Friendship and Love? Tai thought. But if that's the case, then who got Courage? I died and so I don't have any descendants.

"How many other Digidestined are there in your group?" Tai asked.
"Eleven, why?" Ichi asked. Tai sighed.
"Listen. Something's coming." he said. "A Digimon. To cut to the chase, it's the Undersea Master. His name's Dagomon."
"Dagomon?" Taro asked. Tai nodded.
"The Digimon that killed me twenty years ago was a servant of Dagomon. He was trying to get my sister, Kari, because she's the original Digidestined of Light. I was trying all I could to stop it, but, you know, a human versus a Digimon isn't the best combination if you're rooting for the human."
"So now Dagomon has come back and he's going to try and get your sister?" Ai asked.

"I think so." Tai said. "I think the Scubamon thought that Sala would help them because she was simply another Child of Light. Dagomon actually wants Kari. He's here in this world. Right now."
"How'd you figure this all out?" Akira asked.
"I finally found the Digimon in the Spirit World that I've been searching for." Tai replied. "It's a Phantomon and he was also killed by the servant of Dagomon because he was just lazing around. But every time I try to find him he's never there. But he told me everything I needed to know. Well, except for when Dagomon will attack. I've never seen him before, and I don't think anyone has."
"This means we'll have to fight him, right?" Yutaka asked.
"We haven't fought in a long time, though." Ai said. "And if his servant killed you, what if he kills one of us?"
"And I thought we'd finished fighting." Ichi said. "I mean, the last time we fought I was surprised we saved the Digital World."
"It was a close call." Akira admitted.
"What happened?" Tai asked.
"We almost didn't win," Taro said. "Something about not all the crests being together. Which I don't understand."
"Why not?"

"We each have a mark." Ai explained. She rolled up her sleeve to reveal a red heart-shaped symbol on her shoulder. "See. Mine's Love."
Yutaka held out his right wrist where a blue symbol rested. "Friendship."
Akira twisted in his seat and revealed a purple mark on his shoulder blade. "Knowledge."
Ichi tilted her head to the side and pulled her collar down to show a green tear-drop. "Mine is Sincerity."
Taro's symbol was on his left arm, near his elbow. "And mine's Hope. Sala has one too, it's Light, as we previously mentioned."
"We also have a friend in a private school, he's got Reliability." Akira said. "And there's one other who's Sala's age, he's got Kindness."
"That's why we don't get what Gennai – an old guy – meant by our crests not being together." Ichi said. "When we fought we were all together. Eight crests, three others with the six main Digimentals. Taro and Sala also got two Digimentals. And then there's two Golden Digimentals."
Then I was right... Tai thought. They do have the respective crests. I'm just surprised they all succeeded....if the crests aren't all together then that can cause a huge chaotic mess.

"I talked to your mom, Taro." Tai said. "I told her about Dagomon. You're all going to have to be on the lookout. We originally thought that Dagomon would try to get you lot because you're the kids of the original Digidestined, but now that I know you guys are Digidestined I think it's safe to say that Dagomon might think you're the defence."
"What's the deal with Odaiba, anyway?" Yutaka asked.

"There are five main points in Japan that we know of that have a connection with the Digital World." Tai explained. "There's Kyoto, simply because it's always been believed to have a connection to another world. It just took a while to discover what that world was. Then there are three points here in Tokyo. Nerima, Shibuya, and Odaiba."
"Why Nerima and Shibuya?" Ichi asked.
"We don't really know, but portals have opened quite often in Nerima, and Digimon have recently begun appearing in Shibuya as well." Tai said. "But in Odaiba, Digimon always go there. There's a weak point in the meshing of the walls between Earth and the Digital World. Always has been. In the past, two important battles occurred here in Odaiba and since portals have always been opened from Odaiba in the past twenty-plus years it's just gotten weaker and weaker."

"What about the fifth place?" Taro asked. Tai nodded.
"Yeah. That's at a campsite somewhere outside Tokyo."
"The summer camp?" Ai asked. She looked at her friends. "That's where we were when the Digital World first sucked us in!"

Tai smiled. "Not surprising. The summer camp seems to have the ability to open and close a portal at wish. It's another weak point. Twenty years ago, when the portals in Nerima, Shibuya and Odaiba were sealed by a Digimon by the name of BlackWarGreymon, the summer camp was the only place in Japan that had a possible portal. But since it's a random portal opening mostly, Digimon never appear there. Odaiba is monster-capital."

"So it's like there's a tear in the world which opens and closes every now and then." Akira said. "Fascinating. Do you think my dad knows of this?"
"Most likely." Tai said. He stood. "Kari wanted to talk to me about something, so I'll see you guys later."
He left the table, and then Yutaka stood as well.
"I have to go talk to some of the others," he said, and he disappeared from the group. Akira nodded, picking up his book. "Okay, so I was in the library this morning, and I came across some interesting information in this book. I sure am glad Tai told us about the Digital World and this world's clashing. What I found collaborates his information, at least."
"What is it about?" Ichi asked.
"There have been Digimon attacks throughout the past three decades, roughly." Akira said. "About twenty-nine years worth. Want me to start from the beginning?"
"Sure, but one question." Taro said. "I didn't think Digimon were that old."
"Neither did I." Akira said. "But finding out that our parents were Digidestined confirms it."
"Then start from twenty-nine years ago." Ai said. Akira nodded.

"Okay, so the earliest known Digimon attack was in Highton View Terrace." he said. "From descriptions, it sounds like a Greymon and possibly a Parrotmon. They destroyed most of Highton View Terrace before disappearing. The report says a couple of children were found nearby and judging from their stories it's like the Greymon tried to protect them."
"That's so odd." Ichi said. "But cool! I mean, a Digimon, protecting a couple of children they don't even know!"
"The children were eight and four, their stories were considered as wild." Akira read. "Not surprising. But then four years later, another pair of monsters destroyed exactly the same part of Highton View Terrace. A Birdramon and a Mammothmon! Again, this report says they saw a group of seven children running from the scene. Attacks happened throughout that entire week. And then, a fog barrier blocked off all of Odaiba. No one knows what happened. But what's the betting it was a Digimon?"
"Just get to the point, Akira." Taro said. Akira looked grim.

"The person who wrote these articles....her name is Nancy Takaishi."
Taro, Ichi and Ai looked bewildered.
"That's my grandmother....my dad's mom." Taro said. "What...."
"That would explain for the amount of information in these articles." Ai said, taking the book. "These were written eight and four years after....maybe your dad decided to tell her everything, and him and our parents gave her the details."
"All this talk is making my head hurt." Ichi whined. "Listen, why don't we just come clean to our parents that we all know about Digimon, that they're Digidestined and then that we're Digidestined? Then we can all fight Dagomon together and live happily ever after."

"If we allowed that, Ichi, do you think your mother would let you fight?"
Everyone jumped and looked behind to see Kari standing with her arms crossed.
"You all have explaining to do." she said. "Where's Yutaka?"
"Band." Ai said. Tai looked out from behind Kari sheepishly.
"I didn't tell her." he said. Kari glared at him.
"You should've told me." she said. Tai rolled his eyes.
"You never told me anything."
"You never tell me anything anyway!"
"Exactly! Why would I tell you something now!?"
Kari sighed, and joined the teenagers on the bench. Tai joined her.
"How long have you all been Digidestined?" Kari asked.
"Four years." Taro admitted. Tai picked up the book and looked at it.
"Miss Takaishi sure made this sound good," he commented. Kari nodded.
"Yeah, she did."
"Mrs Takaishi, since you're the original Digidestined of Light then you must know about the identity of these kids, right?" Akira said. He tapped the first story. "These two children, eight and four. You know anything?"
Kari laughed. "Anything? I knew everything. I was the four year old."
The kids stared.
"Then who was the other kid?" Ichi asked. Tai raised a hand.
"That's me." he said.
"What about the group of seven kids in Highton View Terrace?" Ai asked. "It sounds similar to what we went through four years ago, but there were only six of us then. And then seven till we found Sala as the seventh one. And then last year we were joined by four more."
"The next generation of Digidestined...." Kari murmured. She smiled. "Okay. I take it you all inherited the crests of your parents."
"What do you mean?" Akira asked.
"Izzy has the crest of Knowledge, which is the same as your mark." Tai explained. "Same for the rest of your parents. You inherited them."
"But they're marks." Ichi said. "Gennai said so!"
"That's because the actual crests don't exist anymore." Kari said. "The marks basically tell who your parents are."
She sighed. "Looks like Izzy's going to have to know."
"What!" Akira seemed agitated. "You can't tell him!"
Tai grinned. "Unless you know how to stop a ghost, he's going to find out."
Akira scowled. The girls giggled.
"So Tai, did Kari tell you all of this?" Ai asked. Kari looked at Tia.

"You didn't tell them?" Kari asked. Tai rolled his eyes.
"What's the point?"
"Tell us what?" Ichi asked.
"Nothing important," Tai said. He stood. "Best be off."
He vanished, and the teenagers sighed. Kari smiled.

"What he did tell me is that you lot found out he's dead." she said. "Crept out?"
"Just a bit." Ichi admitted. Kari nodded.
"As long as you don't let on that you think it's wrong. That it's weird." she said. "I made that mistake twenty years ago. And he left me."
Ai practically stiffened at that as Kari went on.
"To be honest, what I think is that he just wants someone to still love him." Kari said. "He disappeared for a long time twenty years ago because he thought I didn't like him around still. If you guys really want to be his friend, then be careful. Just because he's dead doesn't mean he doesn't have feelings or anything."
The teenagers nodded. Kari stood up.
"Now, don't be so worried about your parents finding out. Tai's gonna put all the blame on himself. And don't argue! Tai's reasoning is that since he's already dad your parents can't kill him."
Ichi stifled a giggle. Kari saw this and laughed.
"Okay, see you lot later. And tell Yutaka, okay?" she said. She was about to walk off when she stopped and looked back. "Oh, and Ai? Come by my classroom after school. I have something I need to talk to you about."
Ai nodded. "Okay, Mrs Takaishi."

Ai's hand hovered over the handle to Kari's classroom after school. She was nervous about what the teacher wanted to talk to her about. But unless she wanted a detention, she better go on. Ai slid open the door and peeked in. Kari was sitting at her desk, organizing some papers. When she heard the door she looked up.
"Ah, Ai. Come in, don't be shy."
Ai shut the door and went over to the desk, looking around.
"He isn't here."
Ai jumped, and tried to hide her blush. "What was it you wanted to talk to me about?"
Kari ignored this and stapled a bunch of papers together.
"You know, Tai never did get to do much when he was alive," she said. Ai breathed in heavily. She knew immediately that Kari knew about Ai's feelings. Kari glanced up and saw the frozen teenager. She laughed.
"You know exactly where I'm getting at, don't you?"
Ai nodded sheepishly. Kari put down the papers.
"Okay, but still. How much do you know about Tai?"
"Not much." Ai admitted, sitting on the closest desk. "That he died twenty years ago because a servant of Dagomon thought he was getting in the way. And that my parents were his best friends."
"Did you know Tai loved your mother?" Kari asked. Ai looked down at her hands.

"Yeah," she said quietly. "But she got together with dad."
"Now, I've already talked to Sora and Matt." Kari said. "I have permission to tell you something you deserve to know, something to do with Taro."
"She tell you that I had a crush on Taro too?" Ai asked, surprised. Kari nodded, smiling slightly.
"Yes, that's why I got the permission. I need to tell Taro took, but I'll tell him later. Anyway, what I'm about to tell you also, you cannot get angry at your parents."
"Why would I get angry?"
"You'll find out." Kari said. She rested her elbows on her desk. "I'll start with the least mind-shattering information."

Ai nodded, nervous, worried, and scared about what was about to come.

Okay, I know, "earth-shattering" cliffhanger *rolls eyes*.

Anyway, I might not update for another while because I have exams next week and considering how long it took me to write this chapter (which I think is shorter than the other ones, for which I apologize) it might not be up until I'm on holiday. But I will try my hardest.

R&R, no flames please!

See you all next time!